Granada is the latest UK firm to sign a contract with DONG Energy for Hornsea Project One. With a capacity of over one gigawatt, Hornsea Project One will be capable of supplying power to well over one million homes from its base 120km off the Yorkshire coast.

Each of the 7MW turbines will require a davit crane and Granada will assemble and test all 174 davits at their Rochdale facility. With a lifting capacity of one tonne, each crane weighs approximately 3000kgs. Fixed to the foundation platform next to the turbine tower, the Granada davits will help lift parts and tools from the crew transfer vessels to the turbines.

Duncan Clark, Hornsea Project One Director, said:“We’re delighted to award another UK firm a contract to supply Hornsea Project One. It’s such a huge project and so it’s really great to see contracts of all sizes benefitting UK firms.

“With more projects planned in the UK, it is of strategic importance to us to develop the supply chain here. Earlier this month we announced our investment in CS Wind’s facility in Campbeltown enabling them to be the first company in the UK with the ability to manufacture offshore turbine towers.

“Today’s contract benefits not just Granada but also their UK-based suppliers. Orders like this will help to develop suppliers’ expertise for future UK offshore projects, and hopefully projects even wider than the UK.”

As part of its strategic sourcing strategy for Hornsea Project One, DONG Energy is placing orders with UK firms, such as Granada, for many components and services for the project. Granada also place great importance on local sub-contracts with their main fabricators in Bolton, final motor assembly in Leeds and painting and coating near Liverpool.

Mark Sidwell, director of Granada Material Handling Ltd, said:“We are extremely pleased to have been awarded another prestigious UK wind farm project. Securing this contract has been a real team effort by the Granada Renewable product and service division.

“The Hornsea Project One contract is not only great news for Granada but also for our UK based supply chain. Granada has ambitious plans for this market sector and having supplied over 650 offshore davits is the UK’s leading offshore wind farm davit crane supplier’.

Additional information – Hornsea Project One UK contracts

In July 2015, it was announced that the turbine blades would be manufactured by Siemens from their recently opened factory in Hull, and in December 2015 a £25 million contract for construction of the onshore substation was awarded to UK firm Balfour Beatty.

Earlier this year, DONG Energy awarded a multi-million pound contract to Babcock for the world’s first offshore reactive compensation station, a contract that has helped to secure around 100 jobs at their facility in Rosyth, Scotland.

Hartlepool-based JDR cables will provide 242km of array cables, the largest contract in JDR’s history, whilst J. Murphy & Sons Limited (Murphy), headquartered in London will lay over 350,000m of onshore cable along a 38km route.

Just last month DONG Energy announced that DeepOcean, a Darlington based firm will transport and install the array cables. This contract has safeguarded 150 jobs in Darlington and the surrounding area as well as enabling DeepOcean to offer significant opportunities to the UK supply chain.